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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. drill — a practice
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. key — in music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. squash — the sport
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fall — the season
  13. spell — magic
  14. firm — decided
  15. spell — letters
  16. drill — army training
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fall — to drop
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. hand — help
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. key — for a lock
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com